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BULLETIN OF THE 




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Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry, Wm. A. Taylor, Chief 
November 22, 1913. 




AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT 
LN SOUTHERN NEW YORK. 

H.v M. ('. r.i ijKirr, Ivx/.v/r//)/ AgricuUtirist, ami John II. liAUKON, Ai/cnl. Office 

of Fiinn MaiKigcinent. 

INTRODUCTION. 

Most fann problems present several aspects. There must be a 
proper adjustment of the crops to the soil and environment and the 
proper balance between farm animals, food supply, and phj^sical 
environment. The first two phases have received much well-merited 





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Tig. 1. — Thr i:iniisii.';ui ui ^*i. .j. i,ui:ii^ii. snuwiiiLT uiu cnjan condition of the grounds and 
the macadam road in front of the buildings. 

attention, but the proper balance between crops and animals and 
the economic adjustment of lx)th these factors to production and 
marketing: have been left to work themselves out. It is particularly 
because Mr. ^I. J. English, of Broome County, N. Y., has so suc- 
cessfully solved these important problems of farm management that 
the example of his farming is valuable. The type of farming which 
11192°— 13 1 



M --Atrrgf^ 



2 BULLETIN 32, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTUEE. 

he is carrying on is well illustrated by the conditions about the farm- 
stead, as shown in figure 1. 

The purpose of this bulletin is to emphasize the following facts: 
It is not enough to raise good crops or to secure large animal 
production; these must be economically secured. This is only ac- 
complished when capital and labor are so adjusted to existing con- 
ditions that maximum yields are obtained at the lowest cost. To 
farm successfully every department must be Avell organized and 
must be coordinated with the others. Labor must be fully employed, 
capital must be well utilized, both quantity and quality of products 
must be secured, and the products must be well marketed. All these 
things come as the result of close attention to and a detailed knowl- 
edge of the business. 

The reason and at the same time the justification for recounting 
the experiences and the methods of any individual farmer, however 
successful he ma}^ be, lie in the fact that a definite illustration brings 
out the underlying principles most clearly and effectively. To most 
practical men the concrete appeals more strongly than the abstract. 
Especially is this true in the teaching of better farm management, 
because it is a comparatively new method of attacking farm problems 
which is not yet clearly defined. 

The general problems which confront the farmer in southern New 
York and northern Pennsylvania were outlined in an earlier publi- 
cation.^ In the continued study of these problems, one of the best 
means of getting information which might lead to solutions of cer- 
tain phases of them has been found to be the observation of success- 
ful farms. For two years the work and methods of Mr. English 
have been studied. It is because he had worked out a more profitable 
solution of farm problems in this region than any other man in our 
experience that his success is worthy of telling and of reading. 

HOW THE OWNER BECAME A FARMER. 

Mr. English purchased the farm in 1897. He had no previous 
farm experience to aid him in starting the enterprise. His new 
possession consisted of 162 acres of land, " more or less," Avith good 
buildings and all the stock, machinery, and other equipment then on 
the farm. The stock consisted of 3 horses, 50 cows, 12 head of young 
cattle, and a few chickens. The ordinary equipment was left on the 
place, together with some hay, grain, and roughage. About 90 
acres of the farm lie in the broad, level valley, the remainder being 
on a slope too steep for cultivation and on the top of a hill nearly 
500 feet above the valley. About 30 acres of quite level and easily 

1 P.nrritt, M. C. Agricultural conditions in soutliern New York. P. S. Department of 
Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry, Circular 64, 19 p., 6 flg., 1910. 

n. OF D, 

DEC ^0., im 



Co jQ^ AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT. 3 

tillable laml arc on the liilll(t|). Iml il i- (liHiciili of access. For this 
I'litiiv [)roi)i'rly sic.ooo was idid— $8,000 in cash and $8,000 as a 
ni()i-(i;-a<r('. The laml ami liuildinns were valued at $12,000 and the 
>t()c-l< and other niitxahlc ei|ni|)nient at $4,000. 

The I'll! iiHT o\\ ner had heen in possession of the farm for GT years. 
It had liecn | >rolilal)le :')() or 40 years before and had been recognized 
as a farm ol" ronsiderabh' fertility. In the yeai.- immediately pre- 
<-ediiii;- it- pnnhase by Mr. English it had not paid expenses, to say 
notiiini:- of the interest on the investment, and the neighborhood sen- 
erally prophesied that the former owner would get the farm back 
on the mortgage in a few years. Tt was even said that there was a 
deliberate purpose in -elling to one who had so little farm experi- 
ence. The following- pages will show how far wrong the reckoning- 
was. The man and the progressive and businesslike spirit within 
him were not known to the community. 

INFLUENCE OF FARM EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES. 

As can readily be imagined. Mr. English found himself in a rather 
difficult position Avhen he took possession of the farm. He was prac- 
tically without farming experience and had verj^ little worldng capi- 
tal, lie had a rugired constitution, however, and had been brought 
up on hard woi k. -o iliat he was not afraid of it. To the college and 
the agricultural press, and especially to the personal help and in- 
terest of one college professor, he ascribes all the success he has ever 
made. These forces stirred him to study his business and to use in 
every way possible the agencies at hand which would help him and 
which would aid him in obtaining a better knowledge of the prin- 
ciples of farming. He had observed that rapid progress was being 
made in every line of industry but agriculture, and he took a new 
interest in everything pertaining to better farming. Yet he never 
made the mistake of taking advice wholesale. It was always weighed 
carefully and measured in the light of his own conditions. 

BUILDING UP THE VALLEY FARM. 

When Mr. English took stock of his resources he found that his 
income was pract it-ally confined to one source — dairying. Some cows 
were making a good profit; others were causing a daily loss. The 
fertility of the soil was maintained by the use of manure alone and 
this went to produce feed crops for the cattle. Very little hay was 
sold. There was no systematic plan of crop production or rotation 
or definite method of soil improvement. 

Such a system has several faults, the correction of which was early 
recognized as essential to success. Unprofitable cows were destroy- 
ing the profit from the better ones. The limitation of the income to 



4 BULLETIN 32, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 

practically one source put upon that factor the entire burden of the 
farm expenses. Labor was poorly distributed and was of necessity 
frequently employed on unproductive enterprises in order to hold 
it for the dairy work, and this was unsatisfactory both to employer 
and men. No definite system of crop production was in use to pro- 
vide the right proportion of each crop with the proper distribution 
of labor. The maintenance of fertility was expensive. All these 
things it was determined to remedy. 

The first step to be taken was the improvement of the dairy. The 
performance of each cow was studied and the unprofitable ones dis- 
posed of. The next most important step was to increase the sources 
of income b}^ growing such other crops as the labor necessary for the 
dairy could handle without extra expense, or, in other words, to 
diversify the farming. The third, but by no means the least im- 
portant step, was to be the development of a rotation that would 
improve the soil, furnish the maximum feed for the stock, and pro- 
vide a cash crop. These were at once taken up and carried out as 
rapidly as possible. 

IMPROVING THE DAIRY. 

A herd of 50 fairly good cows was purchased with the farm, and 
at the start dairy products were about the only source of income. 
Gradually this has been changed, and at present, even though the 
dairy is an important part of the farm, attention is given to several 
lines. One of the chief purposes of this paper is to depict the meth- 
ods of change and to show that the readjustment and the substitu- 
tion of other lines in place of part of the dairy were justifiable. 

A pure-bred sire was included in the farm purchase. Several 
cows also were pure bred, but the certificates of registration were lost 
at the transfer of the property and the owner has never had them 
reentered. 

It has been the policy at all times to keep a pure-bred sire of good 
quality in the herd. The heifer calves from the best producing 
cows were grown and tested out for dairy production, the best being 
kept and the others discarded. In this way the quality and produc- 
ing poAver of the cows have been constantly increased. 

The herd to-day is uniform and able to produce results. Several 
cows have produced 60 pounds or more of milk a day and have main- 
tained this record for continuous periods of from four to six months. 
In addition to the cows Avhich are produced on the farm it is the 
practice of the owner to buy a few each year. Mr. English buys cows 
just fresh, or those which will become fresh soon, at a nominal 
figure. They are fed in his dairy for production during one year. 
By this time they are in good condition for beef and are sold to a 
butcher for at least as much as their purchase price and in the 



AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT. 5 

niajoi'ity of cjisos at a coii^idi'iahle increase. Thu^. llicre are two 
prolil-. ilif profit s(>ciii-c(| in mill.; jji-odnction ami the |)r()lit accruing: 
iVdln the w i-c liii\ iiii;- ami -cHiiii;' of llu- stocic. 

( ii'adiial ly ilic lici'il lia> Ix'cii rliaiiii'c(l into one for winter milk 
protliit'lion. ScNfial faiior> -ecnuMl to make this advisafile: (f) It 
securetl a more cxcn and a lu'iter dist rihulion of labor: ( li ) in tliis 
way till' laiiit-i (|iiantiiy of milk is produced at the season of the 
year when ii i> worth I lie most motley, and (3) better production can 
be secured in the winter than at other times of the year. The hill 
pastures are very poor for summer milk production. They are dis- 
tant from the stable and at the top of a very steep hill. In the words 
of the owner, the cows consimie about all the energj'^ they get from 
the fitdd in goino; to and from it. In the winter the cows can be 
kejit (|uiel. antl detailed attention can he given to their needs. 

RKSULTS FKO.M TliK DAIRY. 

To demonstrate that the methods followed have given good results. 
Table I -hows the qiuintity of milk produced by the herd of 27 
cows and sold at the creamery from September 1. 1910, to August 
'M. I'.U 1. During thi< year hut 17 of the coavs became fresh, the rest 
l)eiiig carried o\oi' from a prexi* us freshening period. 

'I\\ni.i: L — I'li/iliictimi of milk from d herd of 21 coici^ on the EiifjJifiJi farm for 
ihr year ended August 31, 1911. 



Period. 



Sept. 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Jan. 
Feb. 
Mar. 
.\pr. 



Itolo.. 
16 to 30 
1 fo l.i 
16to:n 
1 to 1.5 . 
16 to 30 
1 to l.i. 
16 to 31 
1 to 1.".. 
1610 31 
1 to 1.5 . 
16 to 2.S 
1 to 1.5. 
16 10 31 
1 to 1.5 . 
16 to 30. 



Quarts of 


Cents per 


Re- 


millc. 


quart. 


ceipts. 


2,253 


3i 


S78.85 


2.3.54 


3J 


82.35 


2,67.5 




107.00 


3.0:J2 




121. 28 


2,607 




104.28 


3,376 




1.35. 04 


4,6.56 




186. 24 


5. ,S.54 




2.34. 16 


6. 1.54 




246. 16 


6. S.54 




274.16 


6. 322 




252. SS 


5, .536 




221.44 


6,232 




249. 28 


6.235 




249. 40 


5,687 


3i 


199.04 


5. .538 


3i 


193.83 



Period. 



May 1 to 15 

16 to 31 

June 1 to 15 

16 to 30 

July 1 to 15 

16 to 31 

Aug. 1 to 15 

16 to 31 

Sold to two families 
for year 

Total 



Quarts of 


Cents per] 


milk. 


quart. 


4.893 


3 


4,449 


3 


3.498 


3 


2,755 


3 


2.142 


2i 


2.060 


2i 


2,153 


3 


2.127 


3 


1.460 


4 


100,902 





Re- 
ceipts. 



146. 79 
133. 47 
104. 94 
82.65 
53.55 
51.50 
64.59 
63.81 



The average production per cow per year was 3,737 quarts, or 
8,034 pounds of milk, which was sold for $136.85. In addition to 
the milk which has already been mentioned, the dairy supplied the 
home of the owner and the families of two hired men. This prob- 
ably amounted to (S quarts or more daily, hut as it is impossible to 
be accurate the figures are not included. 

The following comparison of this milk production with average 
conditions empha.sizes its develo]iment : 



6 BULLETIN 32, U. S. DEPARTMENT 01'' AGEICULTURE. 

According to the Twelfth Census, Broome County, N. Y., con- 
tained 31,898 dairy cows 2 jea.rs old or over and the census states 
that 15,868,547 gallons of milk were produced in one year. It is 
then evident that the average production per cow in Broome County 
was 497.47 gallons or 1,989 quarts annually. This number (1,989) 
is to be compared with 3,737, the average production of the herd of 
Mr. English for the year, in quarts. This latter number is obtained 
by dividing 100,902, the product sold from the dairy, by 27, the num- 
ber of cows in the herd. This difference in production is very 
striking. The average annual production per cow in the English 
herd is 87.9 per cent g'reater than the average production of the cows 
in Broome County. Stated another way, 7 cows of Mr. English are 
better than 13 cows found on the average farm in the locality. At 
4 cents a quart the average gross income per cow in Broome County 
is $79.52. At the same price the average gross income per cow in the 
English herd was $149.48. 

The weekly grain ration on this farm during this period (Septem- 
ber 1, 1910, to August 31, 1911) was made up as follows: 

200 pounds of gluten at $25 per ton .$2. .50 

200 pounds of corn meal at $20.25 per ton 2. 02 

200 pounds of bran at $23 per ton 2. 30 

100 pounds of ground barley at .$25 per ton 1.25 

50 bushels of wet brewers' grains at 10 cents per bushel 5.00 

2 sacks of malt sprouts at $1 per sack 2.00 

Total cost 115.07 

From December 1 until April 1, a like quantity of other grains was 
fed each week to the 27 coavs. 

The quantity of brewers' grain and sprouts varied somewhat from 
time to time. When sufficient brewers' grains could be secured, no 
malt sprouts were used. Mr. English considers malt sprouts very 
effective when used with the wet grains. He mixes the two ma- 
terials thoroughly to make sure that the malt sprouts are well soft- 
ened, thus overcoming a danger which is present when malt sprouts 
are fed without a previous thorough soaking. The prices in 1910 
and 1911 were much lower than in 1912, and at present prices this 
ration could not be made up so cheaply. 

In November and April and the first half of May about one-half 
as much grain is consumed as is used during the winter. At these 
times it is not necessary to buy any sprouts, as enough wet grains 
can be secured. From May 15 to September 1 wet grains alone 
are used. From September 1 to November 1 about one-fourth of 
the winter dry-grain ration is fed in connection with the wet brewers' 
ffrain. 



AX EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT. 7 

As oxplaiiR'd later iu lliis bulk-lin this iaiiii prueluces iiuicli excel- 
lent silage and vei\y large quantities of clover hay, which are fed 
in the dairy. Better cows are bred and ke])t than formerly. They 
recei\e good care, and a large production of milk is the result. In 
these \vay< the dairy problem was solved. 

A LESSON IN DIVERSIFICATION. 

^^'lu■ll tlir ])re.-eut ow iiei- lir>t took the farm, clover and timothy 
were raised for hay and corn was put into the silo. Barlej'^ was 
grown and ground for the cattle and some oats were raised for the 
horses. A little hay was sold under this system. This method of 
()j)eration is the coiiimoii and often the only method in the section, 
exeejit that some farmiTs attempt to make summer milk on the poor 
j^astures. 

Mr. English found that with this method the cows were the limit- 
ing factors in the ])rofit. Xo matter how large the crop or what 
it was worth in the market its value was measured entirely by what 
the cow could make out of it. If the price of the milk was low, so 
was the price of the crop. If the cow Avas a poor one, the price of 
t!ie crop was still lower. Moreover, there was much time on this 
farm wheu the labor was not fully and profitably employed. The 
distribution of labor was so poor that the men could not be given 
steady employment by the year, and some difficulty was experienced 
in getting satisfactory labor. So this farmer wanted to add to his 
income without cutting down the income from milk, and by this 
means to secure a better distribution of labor. 

Sugar beets were firet tried, as a factory was then in operation at 
Binghamton. It was fotmd that an average of from 15 to 20 tons 
of beets coidd he raised per acre, which brought $5 per ton. An 
average income of at least $75 an acre could thus be obtained, be- 
sides saving as many tops as there were beets sold. These were of 
considerable value as a succulent feed for the cows. It was also the 
custom to return IVmhi the sugar factory with as much beet pulp as 
the weight of the U'ets delivered. This material was an excellent 
supi)lement in feeding the dairy cows, and cost little to handle. 

The.se methods permitted the selling of more hay, so that the in- 
come, instead of being principally from milk with a little hay, was 
added to considerably by the sale of beets and more hay. Labor 
was more fidly employed and better' distributed throughoitt the 
season, and the additional expense was very slight in ]5roportion to 
the increase in the income. 

The sugar-beet factory was soon closed down, however, and in 
that same year a canning factory was established at Binghamton. 
so that the opportunity to grow sweet corn, beans, and peas for it was 



8 BULLETIN 32, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTURE. 

at once taken. These brought in a good income and took the place 
of the beets in the system. This was especially true of the sweet 
corn, as the stalks make excellent silage. The canning factory 
lasted two years, after which sweet corn was shipped out of town 
for two years more. 

The next crop tried Avas potatoes, and it proved to be so good a 
money maker that it is now an annual crop. Irish Cobbler was the 
variety grown, and with good culture 300 to 350 bushels per acre were 
produced annually. As many as 5,000 bushels of potatoes are often 
grown on this farm in one season. 

The growing of these crops led to some direct sales in the city 
and until the last year or two a small but profitable direct market- 
garden business was carried on. Potatoes and apples are still sold 
direct in the city. For a number of years from one-half to 3 acres 
of onions have been grown, but onion thrips have now made this 
unprofitable. 

The large cash sales from these crops as compared with grain and 
hay early taught Mr. English the lesson which so many farmers are 
now learning to their advantage, namely, that it is cheaper to buy 
grain than to raise it when the land upon which grain is grown will 
yield much more^ — often double — ^the cash value of the grain in 
other crops. It is a simple economic proposition to decide which is 
cheapest — home-grown or purchased grains. Mr. English figured 
that he could raise enough sweet corn, potatoes, onions, or other 
similar crops to buy the grain which would have groAvn upon his 
land and still have a good margin left for profit. 

ROTATIONS. 

At first, when hay was being sold regularly, it was considered 
necessary to purchase large quantities of manure. This was obtained 
in the city at $1 for a 2-horse load. It was used principally on the 
com land, but Avas also put on the land used for other cultivated 
crops. About, the fourth year it happened that a good clover sod was 
plowed under for corn. The result astonished Mr. English. He 
had read much about rotations, but it was not until this striking 
example was thrust upon him that the real importance of a rotation 
Avith clover was fully realized. A short rotation Avith clover as the 
basis was at once adopted and has been continuously followed. AVith 
clover in the rotation every third or fourth year, the clover fed to 
stock, and the manure used on the farm, no anxiety is felt about soil 
fertility. No manure has been purchased since 1906. 

Mr. English is an ardent advocate of the use of clover, both as a 
forage plant and as a soil improver. It is the key to success in his 
system of farming. His average crop of clover is about 3 tons per 
acre and several times he has cut 5 tons per acre in two cuttings. 



AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT. 9 

Not only (1<H\^ it yiold practically as -well as alfalfa under his condi- 
tions, Inii ii i>ri\iia riled ;is c<|iially \aliiable as a feed for cattle. 
For such use he insists that the clover must be cut earlier than is the 
custom. Tie aims to cut it before much bloom appears. Despite 
the lower analysis of cldNiT in digestible protein, his practical ex- 
perience shows that it is as good a milk producer as alfalfa. 

In addition to the grain ration mentioned, the cows on the farm 
receive a good feed of silage and all the clover hay they can consume. 

A 1 IKll ritolUCINc; AND SOIL-lTBni.DIXC 1!() lA TION. 

Dtiriiig the (lc\ clopiucnt of this rotation a delinite ideal was con- 
stantly kr\)\ in mind. jNIr. English has always carefully investi- 
gated any promising new crop or method, and if the experience of 
other.s anil a test of it in a small way warranted, he adopted it. The 
definite rotation finally chosen was clover for one or, possibly, two 
years, corn and potatoes following the clover, and then barley. This 
rotation was subject to such modifications as the situation demanded, 
such as repeating the corn or growing two crops of hay when the 
new seeding failed to catch. 

At first hay had been cut several years in succession from the same 
meadow. It was very difficult to get a good stand of clover in oats 
on the rich bottom land, as the oats would lodge and smother out 
the seeding. Because of this trouble another crop in which to seed 
down was sought, 

Tlay land was heavily manured and planted to corn, which was 
followed by beets, a heavy application of commercial fertilizer being 
made with these. Beets were sometimes followed again with com, 
but more often with oats. After it was found that a good stand of 
clover could not be obtained in oats this crop was cut gi'een for hay, 
the ground replowed or disked, as the case might be, and the clover 
sown alone late in August or early in September. By selling timothy 
hay more oats could be purchased than could be raised where the 
timothy grew and a margin Avas left for profit. 

After some trials Oderbnicker barley, a 6-rowed variety, was used 
to replace the oats, and this has been the regular grain in the rotation 
since 1007. Even this sometimes lodges and kills out the clover, as 
happened in 1910. To reduce the possibility of lodging to a mini- 
mum, the quantity of seed has been decreased from 1^- bushels to 3 
pecks per acre. 

Timothy is not grown unless the exigencies of the season demand 
it. In 1912 one of the previous year's meadows was left down and 
some timothy hay grown for sale, because the clover seeding had 
to be turned under the prcAious year and the price of timothy hay 
was unusually high ($"25 a ton in 1912). 
11192°— 13 2 



10 BULLETIN 32, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

This facility of adapting his farming to the conditions of the 
season and the markets is one of the things which malves the farming 
of Mr. English so noteworthy. 

In this rotation as now practiced commercial fertilizer is used on 
potatoes only. From 500 to 600 pounds of a fertilizer containing 
4 i^er cent of nitrogen, 6 j^er cent of phosphoric acid, and 10 per 
cent of potash is almost always used, being applied with a potato 
planter. Tests have shown that fertilizers Avith corn were unprofi- 
table under the conditions of this farm, but that manure gave very 
satisfactory results. On all the land to be seeded to clover, from 400 
to 600 pounds of hydrated lime (this form is used because it is easiest 
to apply, though its first cost is higher than other forms) is applied 
once in three years. In all these applications no fixed rule is invari- 
ably followed, but the needs of the crops and the season are always 
considered. A definite system followed as closely as good judgment 
will permit is the ver}^ best kind of farm management. 

SUMMARY OP THE RESULTS ON THE VALLEY FARM. 

The results of 15 years' work along these linevS has been the develop- 
ment of one of the most successful systems of farm management in the 
whole region. 

Every cow in the dairy is now a profitable one. All the " boarders " 
have been dropped. Without materially increasing the expenses of 
the farm, the income has been practically doubled by supplemented 
receijots from the dairy and by cash crops for the city markets, espe- 
cialh^ potatoes. 

While the income from the dairy has been increased, the expenses 
have been reduced by growing a larger part of the rations on the 
farm. Succulent feeds and feeds high in protein have made this 
possible, especially corn for silage and clover hay. A short rotation 
with clover and the judicious use of commercial fertilizer maintain 
the productiveness and the ph3^sical cx)ndition of the soil. 

MANAGEMENT OF THE HILL LAND. 

In addition to the land which is in the valley along the river and 
about the buildings, a i^art of the English farm lies about 400 feet 
above the main valley at an elevation of about 1,300 feet above sea 
level. A very steep hill separates this part of the farm from that 
which lies in the valley. This part of the farm is typical Volusia silt 
loam. It is this soil type which is most widely distributed in southern 
New York. It occupies the higher hills and is of such a character 
that poor farming methods very soon bring it to a depleted condi- 
tion. This soil is largely responsible for the ill fame which has come 
to New York State as a section of abandoned farms and poor agri- 
culture. 



AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUr. FAII.M :\1 AXAGEMENT. 11 

CONDITIONS OF THK HILL LAND. 

'I'Ih' liill |Hiiii()ii of ilii> t'iinii is pMi'ticiilarly ty])iciil in a<T('s>ibilit y 
iiiid i^ciKTal cdiiilii ion- of -oiHhcni New ^'()l•l<; and iiortlu'ni Peniisvl- 
\'aiiia. 'llie owner of a valley farm is iu a ])()siti()ii to handle contigu- 
ous hill lands in connection with his valley farm more profitably than 
any nnc cNc and llic experience of Mr. English demonstrates that 
this type of land can he made jM-oductive and profitaI)le. 

This general ty])e of soil needs lime, frequent and thorough culti- 
\a(ion. organic mallei-, and some plant food, largely phosphoric acid. 
In some casi's it needs drainage, and if such is the case it is useless 
to handle it Avithout drainage and expect the best results. Mr. Eng- 
lish realized tlii> and lias given attention only to the better drained 
portions of the land which he owns. However, he owns some land 
which is jM)orly di'ained. and he expects to begin reclaiming it by 
installing an arlilicial drainage system. 

IMPROVING THE FIRST FIELD. 

For some time after he purchased the farm Mr. English gave but 
little consideration to this hill land, using it for pasture and being 
satisfied with what little grew of its own accord. His first attempt 
toward improvement was with a 6-acre field which at that time was 
nothing but a poor pasture, in just about the same condition that a 
majority of the pastures in the section are to-day. He plowed it in 
the spring of 190G, picking olT the stones before and after plowing. 
During the summer the field lay fallow, but was cultivated at fre- 
quent intervals to get good tilth. In September the land was soAved 
to rye. A fairly good stand was secured the following spring, and 
it was allowed to grow until June 1, when it was plowed under. The 
field was left fallow but received cultivation until July 10, Avhen 
buckwheat was planted. Planting the buckwheat Avas intentionally 
late, so there Avould l)e no possibility of its getting ripe and thus 
affording a temptation to remove it from the land. As soon as the 
buckwheat Avas full groAvn the coavs Avere turned on it to feed and to 
tramp doAvn the groAvth. 

During the process of improvement Mr. English made it a point 
to ploAv a little deeper at each successive ploAving, until at length 
he Avas able to ploAv 8 to 10 inches deep. He Avas careful to pick off 
any large stones Avhich had been turned up, but at no time was the 
stone picking particularly arduous. Most of them Avere remoA-ed 
just before and after the first ploAving. After that it Avas necessary 
to remove only those Avhich the later ploA\ings had loosened. 

After the cattle had pastured off the buclvAA-heat someAvhat in the 
fall of 1007 and it was trampled down sufficient!}^, the field was 
ploAved. In the spring the land Avas thoroughly prepared and 
planted to jjotatoes. An application of GOO pounds per acre of fer- 



12 



BULLETIN 82, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



tilizer containing 4^ per cent of nitrogen, 9 per cent of phosphoric 
ncid, and 10 per cent of potash was made. During the summer the 
potatoes received good cultivation and in the fall gave a yield of 
800 bushels of merchantable potatoes from 6 acres. 

After potato digging, the land was fall-plowed and the next 
spring it was planted to barley. Previous to sowing the barley 7 
tons of plaster lime were applied with a manure spreader to the 6 
acres. The weather was very dry and the barley, a small-growing 
2-rowed variety, did not grow very well. At the time of sowing the 
barley an application of grass seed, consisting of a mixture of 12 
quarts of red clover and 4 quarts of timothy per acre, was made. 
The grass came up nicely and made a fine stand. On account of dry 
weather the clover did not seem to be doing very well, so Mr. English 
niowed the barley before it was ripe and secured two small loads of 
barley hay. In this way the stand of clover was saved and it grew 
luxuriantly during the summer and fall. 

The next spring the clover was allowed to grow until early in 
July, when the cattle were turned in to pasture it. The crop was 
especially good and Mr. English was severely criticized by his 
neighbors for his practice. 

That fall, 1909, the field was again plowed, the organic matter and 
the nitrogen of the clover thus being added to the soil, and potatoes 
were planted the next season. Good cultivation and good weather 
conditions were factors favoring a good yield. This time 200 
bushels per acre of marketable potatoes were secured. About 600 
pounds of the potato fertilizer mentioned were used on this crop. 

The cost and income of the second crop of potatoes were estimated 
by the owner and the writers to be as shown in Table 11. 

Table II. — Cost of and income from the second crop of potatoes on 6 acres of 
Jiill land of the English farm. 



Item. 



Cost. 



Average 
per acre. 



Income. 



per acre. 



Value of land after improvement,' 6 acres, $40 per acre, 

interest at 5 per cent 

Plowing 

Preparation (harrowing 4 times) 

Planting 

Seed, 10 bushels per acre, at 60 cents per bushel 

Fertilizer, 600 pounds per acre, 4^9-10 

Cultivation, 5 times 

Spraying for bugs only 

Digging and picking up 

Marketing 



$12. 00 
16.00 
10.00 
8.00 
36.00 
60.00 
30.80 
2.80 
40.00 
36.00 



$2.00 
2.67 
1.66 
1.34 
6.00 

10.00 

5.13 

.46 

6.67 

6.00 



Total and average cost^ 

Receipts, 1,200 bushels of potatoes, at 60 cents per bushel. 
Income (taxes and use of machinery not included) 



251.60 



$720.00 
468. 40 



$120. 00 
78.07 



1 This land in its unimproved condition was valued at $20 per acre. Adding to this value the cost of im- 
provements we find its present value to be $40 per acre. 

2 Dividing $251.60 (the total cost of production) by 1,200 (the number of bushels), the cost of production 
is found to be $0,209 per bushel. 



AX EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT. 



13 



In the Miiiiimii (if I'MO (lie <rr()und was ngiiin plowed, and in 1911 
it was phiiiird 111 ():it>.. Tlii- tinu' about 1,"200 pounds of acid phos- 
phate were applied to the G acres, a moderate a[)pliratiun of lime 
ltein<2: 'dso made. The oats yielded 55 bushels (o the acre. ]\[r. 
En<;:Iish did \\n[ treat his oat seed for smut. Tlie writers went 
throuj2:h the field a short time before the oats were ripe and foiuid 
that fi-oui I'H to oO ]n'r cent of the plants were smutted. Xo doubt 
had this not Ihtii the ca-i' the 3'ield would have been greatly in- 
creased. The Held had a line stand of clover later in the season. 

The cost of and income from this land for five 5^ears are shown in 
Table III, allowing 30 cents per bushel as the cost of growing the 
oats and estimating the cost of growing the first crop of potatoes to 
be the same as that of the second cro]). 

Tablk IIL — Cofit 'if mill iiicniiii- fiDDi 6 acres of hill hnni nn the Eiifilixh farm 

for five years. 



Crop. 



Potatoes (first crop) 

Potatoes (second crop). 
Oats 



Yield 
(bushels). 



800 

1,200 

330 



Total 

.Vverage per acre per year. 



Cost.' 



iS251.60 

251. (iO 

99.00 



Income. 



Cents per 
bushel. 



Gross re- 
ceipts. 



720 
165 



1,525 
50.83 



Net re- 
ceipts. 



S922. 80 
30. 76 



1 Details of the cost of the second crop of potatoes are shown in Table II. 

« Cost of the first crop of potatoes estimated to be the same as that of the second crop. 

An inroinc of $30.7() ])er acre per year for each of the five years 
is not a bad record for abandoned land. This certainly would jus- 
tifVa valuation on this hill land of not less than $100 per acre, which 
would much more than pay for the improvements made. The cost 
of growing and turning under the green crops, the picking up of the 
stones, and the use of the lime was about $:iO per acre. In the above 
figures tliis anioiint has bet'u added to the original land investment, 
and interest on it has been charged at 5 per cent. 

Another factor makes the profit from this improvement greater 
than the iigiires indicate. Xo additional cash expense was incurred 
for either man or horse labor, although this has been charged against 
the crops as cash. These improvements and the growing of the addi- 
tional crops were carried on with regular farm laljor, and this made 
a more eflicient distribution. It was necessary, however, to rearrange 
the rotation in the valley somewhat, growing more hay and a little 
less of the intensive crops, sudi as onions and potatoes, but owing 
to the high })rice of hay tliis did not cut down the income greatly. 



14 BULLETIN 32, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

METHODS OF IMPROVEMENT USED ON THE SECOND FIELD. 

On account of his success in bringing up the first field Mr. English 
decided to try another field. This time he concluded not to wait to 
prepare the land before getting any crop, but to grow regular crops 
and accomplish the improvement at the same time. He depended 
on the many crops of golclenrod and other weeds which had grown 
up, died, and decayed on this land to supply the humus for at least 
one crop. 

In the fall of 1910, after picking up the stones, he plowed 11 acres 
of this old unproductive pasture. In the spring of 1911 all remain- 
ing stones were removed, thorough preparation given, and potatoes 
planted about June 20. At the time of planting 500 pounds of fer- 
tilizer per acre were used. The early part of the season was very dry, 
and growth was relatively slow. In August rains came, the potatoes 




Fig. 2. — The 11-aere field of potatoes on the hill 1'arm of M. J. English. Compare 

with figure 3. 

began to grow luxuriantly, and on September 14, the date of the first 
killing frost, they looked extremely well. (See fig. 2.) The late 
date of planting, the rather unfavorable weather in the early part of 
the growing season, and the early killing frost all combined to re- 
duce the yield, but in spite of the untoward conditions about 120 
bushels of potatoes per acre were produced. These, selling at $1 per 
bushel, gave a profitable crop. The next season this land was limed, 
acid phosphate used, and oats sowed. 

A DEFINITE ROTATION FOR UPLANDS. 

Mr. English's plan of handling his upland is a 3-year rotation of 
potatoes, oats, and clover. Clover is used to furnish pasture, organic 
matter, and nitrogen. Lime is used with seeclings of oats to secure 



AN EXA.MIM.K OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT. 15 

clovor stands. Tliis land is deficient in phosphoric acid, and an ap- 
plication of acid i)hosi)hatc with oats increases the yield of grain and 
iniproxcs the ciovcr. Potatoes are the money crop. The application 
of till' lime :i!hI fntili/ci- to the oats and the gi-OAA'ing of clover helps 
llic land for ilic jioiaim'-. The largest quantity of fertilizer is put 
directly on the potato crop, but even, here the application is not 
e.\cessi\e and the crops that are secured warrant the expenditure. 
It will be noted that nothing has been said about spraying the 
potatoes. They are not spraj'ed, because it is practically impossible 
to get the water necessary for spraying operations up to this land. 
The ]">otatoes arc ]-)lanted late and the bugs are poisoned. Blight is 




Fin. ?,. — A pamplc of tho liill l;ni'l of tli'' l^ou'lish farm where practically nothing but 
" poverty grass " and five-finger was growing when renovation was begun. The oats 
on Ihe left yielded ."." bushels per acre. Compari^ with figure -. 

not common in late ]:)lnntings on this high land and no attempt is 
made to combat it. 

The yields in this scheme of land improvement may not seem par- 
ticularly large. It must be borne in mind, however, that the system 
has been employed but a short time and also that the work is carried 
on on a type of soil which responds none too readily to treatment 
and which is generally quite badly depleted. Only by seeing the sur- 
rounding fields can one get an idea of the improvement. Generally 
the crops do not grow xevj well and clover is almost a complete 
failure. In many of the surrounding pasture fields the conditions 
are so poor that the daisies, paintbrush, five-finger, and goldenrod 
can scarcelv live, (^^ee fisf. 3.) 



16 BULLETIN 32, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 

The accomplishments in this method of hmd improvement have 
been made with no stable manure in the scheme of operation. The 
improvement of land by the use of stable manure is comparatively 
easy, but there is not enough for all of the land. Mr. English has 
shown that stable manure is not absolutely essential for land im- 
provement in southern Xew York. Green-manure crops, cultivation, 
rotation, and the judicious use of fertilizers and lime will accomplish 
the object. 

Mr. English says that there are a few essentials for the improve- 
ment of hill land. First of all is drainage, natural or artificial. 
Short rotations are desirable because they permit frequent and thor- 
ough cultivation. Lime is essential to get clover. Clover is essential 
to soil improvement. These lands need organic matter, and no 
system of improvement will be a success which does not build up the 
organic content of the soil. Phosphoric acid is important. It in- 
creases the yield of all crops and aids materially in securing clover 
stands. Short rotations help to secure better production, more easily 
maintain fertility, and keep down weed pests. They furnish a means 
for practicing frequent and thorough tillage. 

MAKING A RUN-DOWN HILL FARM PROFITABLE. 

To a farmer with a good business instinct it was evident that the 
improvement of run-down hill land is very profitable. Much of the 
land in the neighborhood Avas available at a very low price, and, as 
Mr. English was already farming at a profit in the valley, he had the 
necessary money to invest. As he knew of no investment which, with 
the upward tendency in the values of eastern lands, would be safer 
than this or on which he could make a better rate of interest, he was 
not long in purchasing one of these " worn-out " hill farms. 

The farm selected consisted of 95 acres of gently rolling land situ- 
ated on the top of the second tier of hills above the main valley, at an 
elevation of 1,350 feet and about 5 miles from the home farm. There 
is nothing out of the ordinary about this farm ; it lies partly on either 
side of the crest of a ridge, with east and west slopes, about 6 miles 
from the city of Binghamton. The soil is the characteristic Volusia 
silt loam of the region and only fairly well drained. When put in 
proper condition it is an excellent potato soil. The land had been 
cropped with hay and buckwheat for years, with practically no humus 
or fertility supplied, and its physical condition was very poor. Mini- 
mum cultivation had been given, but there was an excellent frame 
house and a rather poor barn on the place. The purchase price Avas 
$1,550 cash, or $16.32 per acre, which is about the average price of 
similar land in the region. 



AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MAXAOEMENT. 17 

MANAGEMENT THE FIRST YEAR. 

It Avas desired not to spend aiiv more luoney on the farm than was 
ahsohitely necessary and Id make the farm earn interest on the in- 
\'estment a> snon ;i> po-silde. This fact makes the exnnipU' ;dl the 
more piactical t'of the faiiiicr of ;i\era<>e means to foUow. A tenant 
was en^-aiicd lo li\c in ihc h<>ii>e and do the work on the phice under 
the i)\\iici-'~- dircciidii. \\r \\;is ^ixcn oiicdialf of the oats, buck- 
whcnl. ;ind pul.ildc-, miil \\;i- pcnniltcd to keei) four cows and to 
ha\(' the income fi'om them. pro\idc(| lie fed ;dl the hay and roughao-e 
and u>ed ;dl the -liMW on the fai'm. retuniinii' the manure, straAV, 
etc.. to the hind. I'he tenant was also to do all the improvement 
work- foi- the ow nei- wliieh he liad time to (h). such as picking- up 
stones and ciitiini;- hedgerows. A >mall apple orchard was re.served. 
The owner furnished all the lime and clover seed and onedialf of the 
other seeds and fertilizer. The tenant furnished his own teams, most 
of llie machinery, and all tlu' lahor. The ownei' furnished a [)otato 
|)lanter and a digger. 

Mr. English took actual possession of the farm on April 1, 1010. 
Owing to the timi' of starting it was impossible to carry out the defi- 
nite plans for improvement and only such crops as could be planted 
conveniently were used the first year. Consequently, the land was 
not as carefully prepared as it woidd otherwise have been. The 
])otato seed available was \ery poor and only 400 pounds of connner- 
cial fertilize)- were used, thus nudving a Ioav yield, the -4 acres j^ro- 
ducing about 00 bushels per acre. About 5 acres of buckwdieat were 
sown, yielding 110 bushels. Lime and acid phosphate were applied to 
one 8-acre tract. On this tract 300 bushels of oats and an excellent 
stand of clover were obtained. Ten head of young cattle were pas- 
tured on the west slope, where the land was rough and not available 
for tillage. The old meadow was cut, yielding about 1 ton of poor 
hay per acre. 

Permanent repairs cost practically $400, During the sunniier 
the tenant cut the brush and young trees in the hedgerows on the 
farm and generally cleaned np about the place. The balance on the 
owiu'r's books showed that his account with the farm at the end of 
the lirst year, on April 1, 1911, stood as shown in Table IV. 



18 



BULLETIISr 32, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Table IV. — Expenses of and income from the 95-acre hill farm of Mr. English, 
for the year ended March 31, 1911. 



Investment. 



Amount. 



95 acres of land, at $16.32 per acre . 
Improvements 



$1,550 
400 



Total investment . 



1,950 



Expenses. 


Cost. 


Income. 


Gross 
receipts. 


Net 
receipts. 


Taxes 


$18.00 
14.00 
6.80 

12.00 
4.80 
4.80 
2.40 

16.00 
4.00 


150 bushels of oats, at 45 cents 

58 bushels of buckwheat, at 60 cents. 

180 bushels of potatoes, at 60 cents. . . 

10 head of young cattle pastured 6 

months, at $3 


$67. 50 
34.80 
108.00 

30.00 








400 pounds of fertilizer for potatoes . . 
20 bushels of seed potatoes, at 60 




800 pounds of acid phosphate for oats . 

8 bushels of seed oats, at 60 cents 

4 bushels of buckwheat, at 60 cents. . 


Total 












Total 


82.80 


240. 30 






Owner's income (interest on 
investment is not deducted) 


$157. 50 









The oAvner's income amounts to 8.08 per cent on the investment 
of $1,950. In this calculation no account is taken of the owner's 
supervision, as the exercise of it did not detract from that of the 
home farm. 

In addition, the farm was very materially improved by deeper 
plowing, better cultivation of the crops, and by cleaning up around 
the place. 

MANAGEMENT THE SECOND YEAR. 

The following year about 9 acres of sod land were plowed 7 or 8 
inches deep and thoroughly prepared for potatoes. Unfortunately, 
the tenant left some of the cat seed potatoes exposed for several days 
without the owner's knowledge, and these made a very uneven stand 
when planted. Three plantings were made. The first from freshly 
cut seed gave a fine stand and yielded 150 bushels to the acre. The 
next was the largest and made a very poor stand, yielding only 50 
bushels to the acre, while the last was good and yielded 150 bushels 
to the acre. From the whole field 816 bushels were dug, an average 
of about 90 bushels per acre, a very low yield. These were worth $1 a 
bushel at the farm, however, which in part made up for the low yield. 

In spite of a very dry season the clover sown the previous year 
came up very well. From a 2-acre plat over 4 tons of fine clover hay 
were cut, while the remainder of the new seeding cut about 1 ton of 
good hay per acre. Eight acres of oats in which the usual seeding of 
clover and timothy with lime and acid phosphate was made yielded 



AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT. 



19 



18() hiisliols of i>r:iin. Buckwheat yielded 1'20 bushels of grain ou 5-^- 
acres. On the rough pasture lo head of young stock were siunniered. 



RENOVATING THE OLD ORCHARD. 



( )n ihis liii'iii ilu'ic ;ii'c about -J. acres of old apple orchard in which 
some 30 trees aiv still in fairly good condition (fig. 4). About one- 
third of these are of the Northern Spy variety, one-third Ehode 
Island Cireenings, some Ivussets, and the remainder summer and early 




Fig. 4. — Ono of tlie Nortlicrn Spy applo trees in the small orchard on the hill farm 
of M. .T. English. This orchard of 30 trees was renovated at a cost of .$00 and 
.Yielded a total income of .^riGO. The owner's net profit as a result of the first 
year's work was ^270. 

fall apples. Having become somewhat interested in apple growing 
and having seen the opportunity to develop a local market trade in 
this fruit, Mr. English decided that he would try to renovate this old 
orchard. The jM'evious year he had cut all the underbrush, berry 
bushes, etc., which had gro-wn up in the orchard. The tenant was 
paid for all work in the orchard, which was reserved by the owner. 
Avho thus had the entire income from it. Two sprayings were made, 
using a hand pump, the first just before the trees came into bloom and 
the second just after the blossoms had fallen. Table V shows the cost 
of renovation and tlie income derived from the orchard. 



20 



BULLETIN 32, U. S. DEPAETMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



Table V. — Cost of and income from renorating an old 30-trcc apple orchard on 

the English farm. 



Renovation. 


Cost. 


Income. 


Gross 
receipts. 


Net 
receipts. 


Pruning and thinning trees. . . . 


S5 
6 
6 

8 
2 

3 
10 

50 


400 bushels from 30 trees: 

100 bushels of early fall apples, 

at 50 to 75 cents per Ijushel 

280 Isushels of first-class winter 

apples, at %\ per bushel 

20 bushels of seconds, at 50 

cents per bushel 


$70 

280 

10 




Plowing 




Harrowing (several times) 

Thomas slag for fertilizer (one-half 
ton) 








Spraying (twice): 




Total 








Picking, at 5 cents per bushel, and 
marketing, at5 cents per bushel, etc.i 




Total 


90 


360 
90 






Deduct cost of renovation 

Average gross income per tree 


$270 




12 



1 The total cost stated includes all Incidental expenses in connection with picking and marketing. 




Fig. 5. — View of the English farm, showing the general topography of the hill land 
in southern New York and the stony character of much of the Volusia soil. The 
field in the foreground is the one in which the young apple orchard was set. 

The result of one j^ear's work in this old orchard is at least ten 
times its iricome in former years. 

SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS ON THE HILL FARM. 

It was necessary to make a number of improvements on the hill 
farm in 1911. The barn was repaired at a cost of $100. Old fences 
were torn dow^n to make ready for new ones, and the fence posts and 
Avire purchased. Eighty apple trees were set in a 3-acre field adjoin- 
ing the old apple orchard at a cost of $35 (trees, $20; labor, etc., 



AN FA-.VMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL Y^^\^\ :\r,\ X.\( IKM ENT. 



21 



$15). The variotie.s set were Bakhviii, Northern Spy, Wagener, and 
Rhode Tslaiid (ireening, 20 trees of each. The type of soil on Avhich 
this oi'cliard wa.s set is shown in figure 5. Ten trees each of five 
varieties of i)each were also set, to liiid out what they would do on 
the soil at tliis ('le\a(ion. 

On April 1. I'.'li'. at the cud of the second year uudci' the now 
nianagcuifut. the o\\ ucr's accouut willi llii- I'arin was as shown in 
Tal.le VI. 

T.Mtl.i; \I. — Inn stun lit , i.riiciiscs. mid inciniic nn tlir !).',-(irrc JiiJI fiiriii iif _]fr. 
Enillisli for tlic licit r cinlcil Miinli .11. I'.H.i. 



Investment. 



Amount. 



1910 investment 

Improvements on barn . 
Feni-i 



.?1,9.50 
100 



New apple orchard, t-are of trees and .setting. 
Total investment 



Expenses. 


Cost. 


Income. 


Gross 
receipts. 


Net 
receipts. 


Taxes 


SIS.OO 
2,5.00 


400 bushels of apples. . . . 


$360.00 
55.80 

43.20 
408.00 

39.00 




60 bushels of seed potatoes, at 50 


!« byshels of oats, at (50 cent's 

(lO l)iis:lipk nf Imi-L-whofit at SI r,ri 




Commoniiil fertilizer for potatoes 

fi bushels of seed oats, at tJO cents 

Orchard renovation 


2(). 00 per Imndrcd weight ' 

3.tiO ; 40S bushels of potaloes, at -SI 

90.00 IX hpnil nf roiini'i.nttlA nnQfiiroH ot 




2 tons of lime, at -So ix>r ton 


10.00 
IS. 00 
4.00 
15.40 

2.40 


S3 ; ' . 




Crass seed for 8 acres 










900 |)ounds of acid phosphate for oats . 
4 bushels of buckwheat seed, at 60 








Total (not including household) 


212. 40 


Total 

Owner's income (mterest on 
investment not deducted).. 


906. 00 


S693. 60 









Excludiuii- the owner's superintendence and the use of a few tools, 
this Sinn represents a return of 32.5 per cent on the investment at the 
end of the second year. Allowing the owner $500 for his superin- 
tendence and $20 for the use of the tools, the investment still yielded 
an income of per cent. 

L.\BOR PROBLEMS ON THE ENGLISH FARM. 

MAN LABOR. 

Since a better distrihution of labor has been effected, it has been 
and is now employed by the year. Two men ai-e kej^t on the 160-acre 
farm all tlic year ami -ouu' extra help is occasionally required. The 
owner, of course, works Avith the men when the duties of superin- 
tendence permit, and an 18-year-old son Avorks regularly. The 
men hired by the year are started at $30 per month, with a house, a 
garden jdat. and the milk nece.s.san- for their family u.se. If they 



22 



BULLETIISr 32, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



prove satisfactory and show a proper interest in the work, they 
receive an increase of $1 a month for each year they stay. In addi- 
tion to this, each man gets a vacation of from one to two weeks 
with pay, but this leave must, of course, be taken when work is not 
too pressing. Each workman gets his pay regularly at the end of 
the month and never between pay days, except in emergency cases. 

The men work from 12 to 12^ hours a clay. Promptness at both 
ends of the day are prerequisites, and the owner is insistent that all 
work, including the chores, shall be finished by 6 p. m. The dairy 
affords the principal work during the winter, and each man has 
certain cows to milk each clay. The morning hours are 4 o'clock 
in winter and 5 o'clock in summer, and the cows are milked at exactly 
12-hour intervals. By these methods Mr. English has as nearly 
solved the farm-labor problem as any farmer we have known. He 
always emplo_ys high-class men rather than have men in his employ 
whose labor is not profitable. 

HORSE LABOR. 

The horse labor on this farm is done b}^ big draft horses. Mr. 
English belie.ves in high-class animals, just as he does in high-class 
men. If horses cost- more, he makes them earn more by keeping 
them well occupied on productive enterprises. The work is so 
arranged that the horses are idle only a small portion of the year 
in the winter. They are fed cheaply on oat hay or straw and with 
ground oats (at a usual cost of $23 a ton) or the mixture shown in 
Table VII (I'D 10 prices). 

Table VII. — Horse-feed constituents and cost of feeding on the English farm. 



Quantity and cost of feed constituents. 


Quantity fed and cost of feeding. 


Feed constituent. 


Pounds. 


Rate 
per 
ton. 


Cost. 


Season. 


Quantity per feed. 


Quantity 

fed per 

day. 


Cost 
per feed. 


Linseed meal 

Corn meal 


J 00 
100 
100 
200 


S35 
20 
23 
25 


$1.75 
1.00 
1.15 
2.50 


Winter 

Spring 

Summer 


3 quarts, or 3 
pounds. 

4 quarts, or 4 
pounds. 

4 or 5 quarts, or 4 
or 5 pounds. 


Quarts. 
9 

12 

12-15 


Cents. 
11 

15 


Bran ... 


15-19 


Ground barley 




Total feed .... 


500 


16.40 





1 About IJ cents per pound. 



No timothy and no clover hay have been feci to the horses on this 
farm for five years, it having been found that the animals do as well 
or better on oat hay or straw, which is a cheaper feed. 



AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT. 23 

MARKETING. 

A lara'o part of the success of Mr. Kn<j:lish is due to his ability 
in ItiiyiuL^ \u-~ matciials and in sellinji; his crops. He thoroughly 
undorstantU innikci mi:'. Many n\' lii~ sales are made directly to the 
consumer; hut if il ran be clone advantageously, he sells in lai'ge 
quantities to dealers. Mr. English is \ eiy particular as to the (iiiality 
of his products. He has built up sin-h a reputation that everyone 
IS anxious to buy his products, and ui'len he would be able to sell 
more than he produces. At present the potato and apple crops are 
sold directly to the consumer. Milk and other crops are sold to 
dealers. In his reputation for ciuality and strict honesty he possesses 
an asset which has contributed in iw) small way to his success. 

HOME LIFE. 

T\\o family consists of a wife, who is as interested as hor hnsl)and 
in the success of the farm and whose advice is eagerly sought in the 
conduct of the enterprise, a son who has attended high school in the 
city near by, and two younger children, a boy and a girl, who attend 
near-by city schools. The house has been remodeled since Mr. 
English purchased the farm. A water sj^stem which receives its 
supply from a spring on the side hill supplies Avater to the barn 
and house. The dwelling, with its modern plumbing and heating 
systems, is convenient and cheerful. 

SUMMARY. 

Success on this farm is due to wise management and proper adjust- 
ment of all phases of farm business — capital, labor, crops, animals, 
and marketing — in their economic relationships. This farmer se- 
cured all the aid he could from educational institutions, studied his 
farming as anj'^ good business ma^n would study his business, and 
successfully solved his problems one by one. 

The dairy has been the largest source of income from the first. 
Poor and unprofitable cows have been eliminated. Every cow that 
coiUd not show a profit has been sent to the shambles. 

The labor necessary to run the dahy has been fulh^ and profitably 
utilized by gi-owing cash crops on the farm in addition to those 
needed for the dairy. This has reduced the cost of milk production. 

Diversification has been an important factor in the successfid 
management of this farm, A rotation was built up with this three- 
fold pin-pose in mind: (1) To maintain fertility and improve soil 
conditions. (2) to produce as much of the necessar}' animal rations 
as possible, and (3) to p^o^^de profitable cash cro^DS. In this case a 
rotation on the river bottom land, with barley as the small grain and 
clover for hay, followed by corn for silage or potatoes for sale, best 
answered these purposes. 



24 



BULLETIN 32, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



A 6-acre field typical of the uplands and of the neglected and 
run-down farms of the region, worth less than $.20 an acre, has been 
systematically improved and made worth not less than $100 an acre 
at an expense of less than $30 an acre. 

Improvement was accomplished by deep plowing and thorough 
cultivation of the soil, by liming the land, and by plowing under 
successive crops of rye, buckwheat, and clover to supply the needed 
humus. 

Experience with a second field indicates that profitable crops can 
be obtained by deep plowing and good cultivation, supplemented by 
the rational use of commercial fertilizers, without the initial expense 
in time and money of growing and turning under green crops. 
Imijroyement of land can be accomplished without the use of stable 
manure, provided the proper system is used. 

From 20 to 200 bushels of potatoes per acre have been obtained on 
these hill soils by these methods, as well as 55 bushels of oats per 
acre and good stands of clover. A rotation of oats, clover, and 
potatoes is recommended for these cheap hill lands where they are 
properly drained. Drainage is important. 

The distribution and proper utilization of the labor of both men 
and horses is a noteworthy feature of this farm. A definite system 
is followed, the men being systematically promoted, paid in cash 
each month, given a vacation with pay, and working a definite num- 
ber of hours each day. 

Success with badly depleted fields suggested a larger opportunity 
for the purchase and proper management of other run-down farms. 
One was purchased at $16.32 an acre, and under a tenant system 
was made to pay 8 per cent on the investment the first year and 32.5 
per cent the second year. 

The renovation of an old apple orchard of 30 trees was made an 
important supplementary source of income. 

The owner of a valley farm is in a position to handle contiguous 
hill lands in connection with his home farm more profitably than 
anyone else because of the smaller expense in labor and equipment 
and because the income per acre on cheap land is usually too low to 
support a family and an expensive equipment. 

Skillful marketing and close attention to the wants of a local 
market have been important factors in the success of Mr. English. 
This success is due to the application of sound business methods and 
principles. LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 

002 778 000 3 



WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT FEINTING OFFICE : 1913 



